Rejected Their Broken Luna Chapter 153: Chap-153*People Behind Masks*

Cynthia Dion:

"Nobody is here to look after you. Please, just recover, and then I'll take you wherever you want to go," he responded in a calm tone, though his heart told a different story. The way he was breathing heavily, his heart racing, suggested he had a good reason to be so agitated and skeptical.

I nodded against his chest, and he gently released me by loosening his embrace. He removed his coat and draped it over me, hugging me once more. If only he had trusted me, I might have lifted my head from his chest and spent the rest of my painful life in the security of his arms.

After a few minutes of standing in silence, he finally escorted me to the car and settled me in the passenger seat.

He got into the driver's seat, started the engine, and I didn't ask where we were going, my mind still somewhat dazed. It wasn't until he parked the car in the driveway of his mansion that it dawned on me.

"I don't want to go there; they all hate me," I told him, a genuine expression of my desire to take care of myself. Losing my ability to conceive after losing everything dear to me was something I didn't want to face.

"Nobody will utter a word to you," he assured me, staying inside the car because he understood I wasn't ready to leave yet.

"Mr. Holt! He'll destroy me," I looked down at my hands, trying to focus on my fingers. I'd never experienced any profound love in my life. I'd never had a father to hold my hand, guide me through a sea of strangers, and tell me, "You're okay; I'm here with you."

In fact, my father ensured that I lived a life of pain and misery, which ultimately led to the situation I found myself in today.

"He cannot," Atticus responded, sitting upright and focused, despite the fact that the car was now parked.

"He's still my husband. I don't want to be in the same room with him," I exhaled deeply, recalling how suffocating that room used to feel.

"You won't be in his room. Cynthia, I'll take care of you; just come with me," it was odd how he mixed both disdain and concern for me in the same sentence. He stepped out of the car and walked over to open the door for me.

I got out, declining his offer of assistance, and gazed at the looming mansion. I didn't know why I agreed to enter that hell-hole once more, but...

'Why not? We have so much left here,' Thea suggested, and my skin broke out in goosebumps, a sensation even Atticus noticed.

"I think you're feeling cold. Let's get you inside and get you something to eat," he recommended, motioning for me to follow him.

I slowly followed behind him, Thea's words echoing in my mind. What was she planning? What was left to do?

Once he ushered me inside, I was welcomed by a familiar eerie atmosphere.

"Atticus!" Maleeka was the first to acknowledge his arrival as they were all gathered for a meal. "Where have you been?" she inquired, rising from her seat to approach him. When her gaze landed on me, her reaction was akin to someone seeing a ghost for the first time.

Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, and her jaw practically hit the floor. She couldn't even produce a sound for a few seconds. Following her was Mara, who, instead of being shocked, appeared angry at my presence with him.

"What is she doing here?" Maleeka wasted no time and moved briskly in my direction, likely with the intention of confronting me. However, Atticus smoothly interposed himself, surprising her even more.

"What's happening?" Mara witnessed the entire scene and demanded an explanation. Mr. Holt, who had his back to me until that moment, turned around to assess the situation.

Our eyes briefly locked, and in those moments, it felt as though he had conveyed all his intentions and emotions to me. His gaze transitioned from anger to shock and then to a second thought, where he possibly considered imposing some form of punishment. More passed through his eyes in that brief exchange.

I waited to see if I needed to step forward and speak for myself, or if the person who had brought me here would handle the situation as promised, sparing me any stress. Would he finally take his promises seriously?

"Why is she here? He doesn't want her anymore," Maleeka ground her teeth, her disbelief evident. She gave everyone looks that conveyed her disappointment in her brother.

"Zeon, tell him you don't want her here," she then turned her attention to her mate, who had seemed fine with having a plaything around, but now, when faced with an opportunity to display anger and show I had betrayed him, he stood up to join Maleeka's stance.

"After she got pregnant from someone else, I don't need her," he declared loudly and clearly, ensuring that Maleeka could hold her head high, appearing proud and confident.

The victory may have been Maleeka's, but the "trophy" she received was a lousy, abusive mate.

"She's not here for you," Just when I was starting to wonder why Atticus remained silent, he spoke up. If he hadn't said anything, I might have thought he'd brought me here to be humiliated by his family.

"Then why is she here?" Now that Mara realized I wasn't there for Mr. Holt, alarm bells rang in her mind, and she couldn't help but ask Atticus about my purpose in being there.

"She's here for no one. She doesn't belong to anybody," his response was far better than him labeling me as his mate. I longed to be my own person, to have an identity of my own, even in my current condition.

"Then send her back to her poor home. This mansion is for our family," Maleeka was spouting hate that I never thought she was capable of displaying. People can hide behind masks quite effectively. Once those masks are removed, their true colors become evident.